As an architect and leader of a large science and technology practice group, I have the privilege of focusing on the inner sanctums of these facilities: the labs. These environments, where architects must balance demands
for sophisticated technology with the need for
dynamic human interaction, are among the
most fascinating spaces we encounter.

Our private and public sector clients make a
significant investment in their labs. They have a
right to expect that their new or renovated facilities will help their researchers succeed right away
and then adapt seamlessly to the future of science.

What will the research environment of
the future look like? Though it’s impossible
to predict, we do know that labs, offices and
meeting spaces are converging to form the new
scientific workplace of the future. We know
that these scientific workplaces will need to be
pleasant, well-equipped spaces where scientists want to be. Once researchers are in them,
these environments must enable them to focus
on their work and collaborate. If the space
hinders the research and development process
in any way, then the designers have failed.

Several trends are shaping the scientific
workplace of the future:

1. NEED FOR HYPER-FLEXIBILITY

Organizations are demanding innovation and
preparing for an unknown future by removing traditional research boundaries. As with
today’s office workplace, the occupants of
future scientific workplaces will need the ability to quickly and safely reconfigure space to
suit their changing needs.

To meet the unprecedented 32-month design
and construction schedule for the King Abdullah
Univ. of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi
Arabia, our team began designing the research
buildings before KAUST even identified its principal investigators or defined its specific areas of
research. The challenge was to design two million
square feet of world-class space that would accommodate researchers from nearly every spectrum of
interdisciplinary science.

The solution was a universal floorplate featuring identical lab neighborhoods and planning
modules on each lab floor. The university’s
researchers can customize lab casework systems
and equipment to meet their needs from any
location in the building—they’re the designers of
their labs. The close collaboration among all types
of researchers allows KAUST to function as a truly
global, interdisciplinary research institution.

At the new Francis Crick Institute inLondon, which will house six leading bio-medical research organizations, a central-ized services distribution system provides akit-of-parts approach to lab configuration.Researchers can plug components into theservice spines in flexible combinations limitedonly by the total service load constraints. Inthe absence of a predetermined science pro-gram, this plug-and-play solution guaranteesflexibility as the researchers’ needs evolve.
2. BLURRED LINES BETWEEN LABS AND OFFICESThough formal labs remain important gate-ways to discovery, the discovery process andsubsequent socialization of research findingsare no longer restricted to these spaces. Just asthe distinctions between sciences are blurring,the types of spaces where research is takingplace are merging. Collaboration is increas-continued on page 32

Shaping the scientific workplace of the future

Bright, flexible research environments will characterize The Francis Crick Institute in London. Image: HOK
Access to natural light is a feature at BioMarin’s office in San Rafael, Calif. Image: Chad Ziemendorf